[6 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



ministratively. If witbiu six months the decision of the minister 

 is not signified to the owner of the land, clearing may be under- 

 taken. 



Opposition on the part of the state, to the clearing of private 

 forest lands, may be made when woods are concerned whose pres- 

 ervation is recognized as necessary; for the maintenance of soil 

 upon mountains and slopes; for insuring the existence of springs 

 and watercourses; for the protection of dunes and slopes against 

 the erosions of the sea and the invasion of sand; for the de- 

 fense of national territory on the frontier, and for the public 

 health. Violations of these regulations may cause the offending 

 land owner to be fined as high as $275 for every one and one- 

 half acres of land cleared, and he must, if so ordered, set out to 

 re-establish the clearings by plantations within three years. If he 

 disregards this likewise, the state will do the work at his ex- 

 pense. 



Decadence of Wholesale Hardwood Yards. 



Conditions surrounding the trade 

 in building woods and hardwoods 

 are essentially different. A very 

 large portion of the yellow pine, 

 white pine, hemlock and Pacific 

 coast woods is handled through 

 the medium of thousands of retail 

 lumber yards scattered all over the 

 country. There is scarcely a com- 

 munity of five hundred people that 

 has not at least one lumber yard, 

 and towns of ten thousand often 

 have three or four. 



The yard business in the hard- 

 wood trade is confined to large 

 commercial centers — notably those 

 that have big manufacturini; and 

 woodworking industries. Xalurally 

 the largest hardwood jobbing city 

 in the United States is Chicago, 

 as in that city many million dol- 

 lars worth of furniture, interior 

 finish and other products consum- 

 ing immense quantities of hard- 

 woods are manufactured. Even 

 in the city of Chicago, however, 

 it is noticeable that there is a 

 gradual diminution in the number 

 of hardwood lumber yards, and 

 those that still exist are carrying 

 lighter stocks than ever before in 

 their history. Every year the ex- 

 tinction of half a dozen hard- 

 wood yards is noticed. This is 

 not only true of Chicago, for even 

 in the large eastern cities there is 

 a gradual thinning out of stocks 

 held for local use by wholesale and retail yards. 



This relinquishment of the combined wholesale and retail hardwood 

 yard trade is being brougbt about by the growing non-profitable 

 features of the business. Increased handling cost has entered very 

 largely into this, for by reason of it profits have been scaled 

 down below the point of safety. It is especially noticeable in the 

 cast, where the eight-hour labor day prevails almost \iniversally. 

 that, the average hardwood yard man says business has grown to 

 be unprofitable. In the heyday of hardwood lumber yards in 

 commercial centers very few manufacturers sold the consuming 

 trade direct, but with the evolution of business nearly every large 

 manufacturer today maintains a sales organization and sells a large 

 portion of his lumber direct to that trade. 



There is always going to be room in all the commercial centers 

 for flio lumber merchant carrying a well-assorted stock of lum- 



ber, but his business is being gradually reduced to wagon trade and 

 quick delivery. M^hen all the cost of re-handling lumber through 

 local yards is taken into account, including labor, waste, shrinkage, 

 etc., very few dealers can figure a handling cost of less than $5 

 a thousand. This is a tremendous handicap for the yard man, 

 and if the evolution continues as it has for the last few years it is 

 doubtful if nearly so many wholesale yards as are now maintained 

 can be continued on a profitable basis. 



Trade ethics in the sale of hardwoods vary in different localities. 

 A good many large eastern jobbers still confine their trade to re- 

 tail yards, to a comparatively limited number of large manu- 

 facturing concerns, and to the railroad trade. On the contrary, the 

 average hardwood manufacturer, wherever he may be located, is 

 perfectly wUling and glad to accept orders from any wholesale con- 

 sumer of hardwood lumber, and, in fact, from any one who will buy 

 lumber in car lots. This evolution of trade ethics will probably never 

 prevail in the softwood trade, as the manufacturer of yellow pine 

 and like commodities thinks it is much safer to do business with 

 a competent retailer than to at- 

 tempt to sell his lumber direct 

 to the consuming trade. 



SKIDDING THE LOG 



(.See Supplement Drawing by Thomas J. NichoU.) 



In the wake of the log is torn, black earth; 



A clew to the great forests tragic tale 



Wliere the battle royal makes strong men quail 

 And a//7/,v, j,u a wow, nl. Uu aoo.Ismcn's mirth. 

 K,lH(t,inllv di,uni>d jioiii ih joi,-.! home, 



The liiiiji tnink lurches and plunges to stay; 



Upturning the white leaf mold in the fray 

 A nd bringing the scent of the heavy loam. 

 Woe to the teamster unless he be swift 



And strong and brave in the wild forest fight. 

 Woe to the steeds that are straining to lift, 



And fall 'neath the rolling log's swerving might. 

 Inanimate nature's indemnity 

 Is paid with men's lives to the fallen tree. 



LAURA RAITZ LAW. 



Buy Now. 



In the issue of June 25 the 

 Hardwood Eecord made a care- 

 ful analysis of present and pros- 

 pective hardwood conditions, which 

 was largely repeated in its is- 

 sue of July 10. The summing 

 up of all evidence obtainable from 

 every consuming section of the 

 country enabled this publication 

 to emphasize the fact that a re- 

 sumption of lumber buying was at 

 hand; that stocks held by job- 

 bers and remanufacturers of hard- 

 wood lumber were extremely low; 

 and that prices had reached their 

 very lowest stage. 



The ad\-ice following ' ' Buy, 

 Now ' ' was perhaps unnecessary, 

 but still is worth repeating, for 

 if users of hardwoods want to take 

 advantage of the best market they 

 will ever face, now is the time to 

 buy lumber. The important orders 

 that have been placed during the 

 last month by many of the large 

 jobbers and manufacturers make it 

 self-evident that the best wisdom 

 of the best men in the trade is 

 in harmony with the views express- 

 ed l>y the Record. 



Tiifortunately for the jobbing 

 trade, during this period of de- 

 pression there has been little opportunity to buy large blocks of lum- 

 ber at a price that would show much speculative profit on the pres- 

 ent market, but such purchases as have been made will in a short time 

 show a reasonable margin on sale. As a matter of fact, the hard- 

 wood lumber business is pretty nearly down to solid trading, with 

 very little of the .speculative features embraced in it. Unfortunately 

 also margins are constantly growing narrower and the day of fancy 

 prices in hardwood re-handling are probably over for all time. 



Michigan Hardwood Men to Meet. 



The annual nicrtiii;,' ..f th,' :\Ii.liio:in li.'ir.lwond MMUuf^icturers' 

 Association will be called within a tew days, probably at Mackinac 

 Island. At this meeting the secretary will lay before the associ- 

 ation a complete statistical report showing the stocks of both hard- 

 wood and hemlock lumber sold and unsold in the state of Michigan, 

 as well as a close estimate of tin- liunbi'i- out|)ut for the year. 



